Author: paula.mcgrew@gmail.com

Walking with the Class of ’69

This past weekend was full of great events and a lot of fun. This post, if I tried to write about all of the things I saw and the people I met, would be way too long! Don’t be surprised when you see things slipping in for the next few weeks.

For today, I would like to tell about one of the first things that happened. I was asked to help lead a tour of campus for some of the members of the Class of 1969. The group was about 35 people including some of the spouses and friends who did not join in the photo.

Since it was a big group, I invited some of the students in my First Year Seminar class to come along and mingle in with the group. They have been studying the history of WVWC, and in particular we had just talked about 1969 last week. They were excited to meet people who had been students at that time when Wesley Chapel was being built, as well as Christopher Hall of Science, and they were not disappointed.

If anything, they found that this livey group of people who graduated 50 years ago, was a fun-loving group with lots of memories and stories.  A group who greeted each other with hugs and tears and laughter and stories. They discovered that in the group were homecoming queens, people who had gone one to earn PhD degrees and had taught at universities, and a few people who were coming back to campus for the very first time. They were real people with real stories.

Last week, when we talked about the construction of Christopher Hall of Science and Wesley Chapel, the students in my class had speculated about how students felt about being here at such a time. They had guessed that students were excited, amazed with the buildings, that they felt lucky to be here at such a momentous time in the history of the college. Everything was growing and changing! When asked on Friday what they remembered about that time, the group answer was unanimous as they answered with one word…..in unison……MUD!

Stories

As we walked, the stories flowed.

When the class of ’69 arrived on campus, the Benedum Campus Community Center and Holloway hall were just two years old.

There was apparently some discussion on campus when it came to naming the new dormatory, which had been opened one year earlier. Known as New Hall, many of these students had taken to naming it after themselves……until the administration officially named it Paul G. Benedum Hall.

Other things that came up:

  • Jenkins Cafeteria memories were many – and amazement at the Wellness Center
  • Required Chapel — they remembered Atkinson as well as Wesley Chapel
  • Curfews and strict rules for girls
  • Could not wear jeans!
  • Food in the library???????? And MILKSHAKES???????   No way!!!

The class of ’69 seemed to approve of the changes. The students (aspiring members of the class of 2023) were enthralled as well as a little bit taken aback when told, “One day you will be US!!!”

So Many Stories – So Little Time

The interest was high. The time was short. I promised the folks on the tour that I would make some more information available. Enjoy!

Other Resources

Chronology of Buildings

Full List of Blog Entries can be found on DreamersAndGiants.com

The Spring 2019 Emeritus Newsletter, which featured a welcome to the Class of 1969 into that elite group of people, included a story about how all of the buildings were named. You can read it here. 

Especially of interest to the Class of 1969:

From Social Disorganization to Social Justice

Images in Bronze 

Marching in the Footsteps of Dreamers 

Searching for Shalom (Daniel Stein, ‘69) 

Wesley Chapel: Sermon on the Mount Shines Through West Virginia Glass

Wesley Chapel: Stories Behind the Soaring Sound

Wesley Chapel: They’ve Seen it All….And They Speak

WVWC Choir Sang at Uniting Conference in Dallas….50 Years Ago Today (April 26, 1968)

From the 1969 Murmurmontis, pages 44 and 45. Click here to see it full size.

Alumni and Speakers and Trustees, Oh My

Founders Day is coming up on Friday of this week.

It is, to be sure, a time to say thanks to those who planted the college here in Buckhannon in 1890. We thank them by highlighting examples of how their dreams have turned to reality.

Photo by Robbie Skinner, Class of 2011

Alumni

Graduates of WVWC have excelled in all walks of life. They have done heroic things. They are leaders in science, education, government, political realms, music, healthcare, business, sports, and religious eneavors. The education they received here set them on paths that have led them all over the world to make a difference. Each year, we honor some, but for each one that receives this honor there are hundreds who would be deserving recipients.

Alumni Service and Achievement Awards

Young Alumni Service and Achievement Awards

The Extra Mile Award is also offered – sometimes to Alumni (and sometimes to people who we would love to claim!)

 Speakers

In 1933, Bishop Adna W. Leonard (Resident Bishop of the Pittsburgh Area of the Methodist Episcopal Church) spoke at an event that became known as Bishop’s Day. It was a day set aside to celebrate the college and church connections springing from our original Founders. Bishop Leonard and his successor, Bishop James H. Straughn were generally the speakers for that event, and it was held in Atkinson Chapel. Bishop Straughn changed the name of the event in 1941 to be known as Founders Day.

In 1952, the dedication of the New Men’s Residence Hall (which we now know as Fleming Hall) was mentioned in the October, 1952 issue of the West Virginia Wesleyan College Bulletin:

The program marks the observance of Founders Day, a tradition instituted by Bishop Straughn while the resident bishop of the Pittsburgh area and originally known as Bishop’s Day.”

In the 1950s speakers other than bishops were included, and they were a mixture of prominent Methodist leaders, heads of foundations, civil rights leaders, and alumni who had risen to the ranks of leadership in many areas of work. Some were also Trustees of the college.

On Founders Day 1989, the speaker was Carl Rowan. He was a journalist who began his career by covering the Civil Rights Movement in the south as one of the country’s first African-American reporters at a major daily newspaper. Later in his life, he became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and the Ambassador to Finland. In the year before he retired in 1965, he was the Director of the United States Information Agency.  He spoke on the real value of an education.

Carl Rowan interviewed by Sarah Lowther (Class of 1984) for West Virginia Public Radio

Another speaker that stands out as I look through the list is J. Roy Price. A member of the class of 1923, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1949. At the Founders Day Convocation on October 28, 1955, Dr. Price presented  the Founders Day Address entitled A Charter for a College of Liberal Arts. This charter looks both back and toward the future. A Trustee from 1949-73, you can read more about him here.

These are but a couple of examples, but there have been many powerful Founders Day  speakers challenging us to keep going and to keep growing.

Trustees

Trustees are present at the Founders Day Convocation, and new ones sign the book which has the names of the leaders and decision makers throughout the years. Some, but not all, are also Alumni. Some, but not all, are United Methodists. All have been duly elected by the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church…..who started the entire story.

Leaders of church, government, industry, medicine, law, business, and more, the Trustees are those who guide and make decisions and hire presidents. They are people who are dedicated to West Virginia Wesleyan College. Some, but not all, have been Founders Day Speakers.

Alumni and Speakers and Trustees, Oh My.

I hope that the Founders are proud of the school that they planted so long ago.

It’s The Little Things Working Together

On a recent Field Trip Friday excursion with my First Year Seminar class, one of the students made a discovery.

The Field Trip included five stops to look at some important plaques and markers that often go unnoticed. It included a trip into Haymond Hall of Science (after studying about the beginnings of that building during the week). It included a stop in the Sleeth Gallery in McCuskey Hall.

On the way into McCuskey, I happened to point out a small sculpture which was attached to the side of the building.

Photo by Ellen Mueller (2015)

When all was said and done, it was this sculpture that inspired one student to action. I explained that it was part of a series which had been installed on campus in 2015 by Ellen Mueller, who at that time was a faculty member in the Art Department. Click here to read more about Ellen.

A couple of days later, I received an email with photos of all of the pieces in the project. The student and a friend (not even in the class) had spent hours examining each building on the campus to try and locate the entire project. Beyond being intrigued by the pieces themselves, they found that they had many questions about the reason for these tiny sculptures and what the artist may have been thinking about.

Synergism

Ellen’s project was named Synergism. That word translates loosely to “working together” and that there are things that work better when combined together than they do as individual components. You can read more about it on her website.

In this project, there are five office-related objects, 3-D modeled in SketchUp and printed in 3-D in matte bronze steel by Shapeways. Each is designed to fit into a corner-space and are attached to buildings on the campus.

The Synergism project was featured in a journal article by Tiffany Funk in NMC/Media-N  (Spring 2015; Vol. 11, No. 02).

Ellen Mueller’s Synergism series (2015) demonstrates how subversive, radical discourse can take the form of small-scale interventions. The series consists of 3D modeled bronze-steel sculptures, ranging from three to eight inches, of office paraphernalia installed in a variety of institutional spaces, including office buildings, city halls, DMVs, post offices, and schools.

Though Synergism takes its inspiration from street art, it disrupts institutional architecture through corporate camouflage; by mimicking the bronze, classical sculptures often gracing entrances and lobbies, while drastically reducing their scale, these absurd interventions signify larger issues of the effects of workplace monetization, namely the objectification of individuals.

Office Chair located on McCuskey Hall
Clipboards located on the Benedum Campus Community Center
Filing Cabinets located on the Lynch-Raine Administration Building
Keyboards located on the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library
Staplers located on the O’Roark Nordstrom Welcome Center

Synergism in Curriculum

When I looked up the word Synergism in the Credo Reference database on the library webpage, there were 668 results returned. They were from many disciplines, including usage of the word in:

  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Communication
  • Computer Science
  • Education
  • Environmental Science
  • Medicine
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Social Sciences
  • Toxicology

It occurred to me that all of these things contribute to what we call a Liberal Arts Education. Each one of the areas is important on its own, but combined together they are even greater. Synergism.

Collaborations, Connections,  and Explanations

While I gave the best explanation that I could when asked about these pieces of art, I realized that I could do a much better job if I consulted the artist and made a connection with the student in that way. I asked Brenlyn what she would ask the artist if she could. Here are her questions and Ellen’s answers.

Question: Why Office Supplies and furniture? Why not art supplies or artists, or dogs, or panda bears or something?

Answer: I picked office supplies/furniture because I was very interested in bureaucracy and the systems that guide our everyday lives. These objects are completely intertwined with carrying out those systems of order.

Question: Why these particular buildings? How did you decide where to put them?

Answer: I put them on these buildings because I wanted to spread them out over the whole campus, and these buildings felt well-spread out from each other.

Question: How did you come up with this whole project in the first place?

Answer: I came up with the idea because I like bureaucracy from a personal point of view (I like things to be orderly), but I am also driven crazy by bureaucracy sometimes because I like to get things done, and it can slow things down!

Happy Birthday, Annie

Annie Merner Pfeiffer is a name that is familiar to us on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College. It is the name on our library.  When people notice that the library is named for her, they assume that she might have been a librarian here or maybe a faculty member. The truth is that Annie Merner Pfeiffer never set foot on the campus.

So why name a building after her? Especially one so central to the educational mission of the school?

Annie Merner Pfeiffer

Born on September 23, 1860 (159 years ago on the day I am writing this) in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, Annie Merner was educated in the public schools of Ontario. At the age of 22, she married Henry Pfeiffer.

Henry, born in Lewiston, Pennsylvania in 1857, moved with his family to Cedar Falls, Iowa when he was young. He worked in the retail drug business early in his career before moving to St. Louis, Missouri for a position in the drug manufacturing business. He founded the Pfeiffer Chemical Company in St. Louis in 1901 and in 1908 purchased William R. Warner & Company in Philadelphia.

According to his obituary in the New York Times (April 14, 1939):

Under his direction the Warner company, which had been founded in 1851, became oneof the leading manufacturers of drugs, pharmaceuticals and chemicals used in the drug trade. The company now maintains factories in New York and St. Louis and in fifteen foreign countries.

Philanthropy

Annie and Henry had no children of their own, and subscribed to the philosophy of Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth,” written in 1889, which said that those who were wealthy had an obligation to use that wealth to help others.

Like many of those who amassed great wealth in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Pfeiffers wanted to use their wealth to endow institutions that would build a strong and educated society – places like colleges,universities, and libraries.

Recipients of funds from Henry and Annie Merner Pfeiffer for colleges and universities, both in the United States and abroad, included:

  • Colegio Ward (Buenos Aires)
  • Yenching University (Peiping, China)
  • Ewha College (Seoul, Korea)
  • Albright College (Reading, PA)
  • Bennett College (Greensboro, NC)
  • Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA)
  • North Central College (Naperville, IL)
  • Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)
  • Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)
  • Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea, OH)
  • Pfeiffer Junior College (Misenheimer, NC)
  • West Virginia Wesleyan College (Buckhannon, WV)
  • Tennessee Wesleyan University (Athens, TN)

This list is not complete. The thing that they had in common were connections to the Methodist Episcopal Church and the fact that they were private liberal arts schools. There were many others, and also scholarships for the students as well.

Annie Merner Pfeiffer was also a Member of the board for the New York Deaconess Association and Methodist Church Home.  The purpose of this institution was to prepare women for all branches of home and foreign missionary work.

Henry died in 1939, and a foundation was set up to continue the work that they had started. President Broyles had been talking with Annie Merner Pfeiffer in regards to a gift for our much-needed library. He died suddenly on September 29, 1945, but the day that his successor, Dr. William Scarborough, was elected by the Board of Trustees one of his first official acts was to announce that she had committed to a gift of $100,000 for the library – with two conditions.

To read this issue, click here.

We read in Kenneth Plummer’s book, A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, that:

(1) funds were to be made available when construction of the building commenced

(2) at least two other buildings of equal cost were to be constructed at the same time. [Note: this turned out to be L.L. Loar Memorial Hall of Music and Fine Arts and Fleming Hall]

In her will, Mrs. Pfeiffer also left a substantial amount of money to the Methodist General Board of Education for distribution at its discretion. Upon recommendation of Dr. John O. Gross, secretary of the board, Wesleyan was given subsequently an additional $50,000 for the library fund.

As one who has lived in that building for many years (first as a Library Science major, then as a staff member, and as Director of Library Services for a decade), I would like to thank Annie Merner Pfeiffer for her generosity which has had a deep impact on my life.

Happy Birthday, Annie Merner Pfeiffer! And Thank You.

Lawrence Sherwood: Inspired and Inspiring

Lawrence Franklin Sherwood Jr., a young man from Roncevert, West Virginia,  graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1947.

While a student, Lawrence was very active on campus including:

  • Sigma Alpha Sigma (Local Scholarship Society)
  • Alpha Psi Omega (National Dramatic Fraternity)
  • Playshop
  • Ministerial Association
  • Christian Service Fellowship
  • Community Council
  • Student Union Council
  • Awards Committee
  • Religious Activities Committee
Christian Service Fellowship, 1947. One of their projects that year was to hold Sunday services for the mentally ill at the Weston State Hospital.

Seen in this photo seated next to Dr. Ralph C. Brown on the front row, Lawrence Sherwood’s student days brought him into close contact with Giant faculty members and mentors. In particular, his interactions with Dr. George Glauner (who taught History from 1922-66) and Dr. Ralph C. Brown (who taught Bible and Religion from 1922-61) seem to have greatly impacted his life’s work. Dr. Brown was an ordained Methodist Minister, and Dr. Glauner was an active preacher as well. Both were members of the West Virginia Annual Conference.

Harvey Harmer,  WVWC Trustee from 1906-37 and Trustee Emeritus 1937-61, was also very active in the West Virginia Methodist Historical Society, and was likely an influence and source of great information for young Lawrence.  Both Harmer and Glauner served as the top officer in the Methodist Historical Society for multiple terms.

Lawrence Sherwood was honored with a Doctor of Divinity Degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1964. I would imagine that few people in attendance could have been prouder of him than Dr. Brown and Dr. Glauner.

Beyond Campus

Lawrence did not limit his leadership to campus. He was also very active in state and regional organizations, even as World War II raged and created hardships at home and abroad. For example:

  • In April 1946 he was elected state treasurer for the Methodist Student Movement.

The United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History includes this description of the Methodist Student Movement:

The Methodist Student Movement has its direct roots with the Wesley Foundation campus ministries which was founded by James Baker in 1913 at the University of Illinois. With the intellectual and political higher landscape became more complex after World War 1 and the great Depression, there created a need to provide a progressive pastoral, yet prophetic, style of ministries for this new kind of college student. In 1938, the Methodist Student Movement was born in anticipation of church union among the three largest American Methodist bodies in 1939. Methodist college and seminary students now had a national platform to press forward their concerns on how the church specifically and society generally should be shaped while drawing on the vast resources of the new denomination to sustain its momentum. MSM was organized geographically by jurisdictions, regions and states along with a national board to promote its varied social interests of race, war, peace, ecumenism, new theologies, and art. Perhaps their greatest legacy comes in the form of their cutting edge magazine called motive. The movement’s high point of national influence came during the 1950 and 1960’s when American society began to radically reexamine its norms and mores which created great social upheaval. By 1969, the Methodist Student Movement burned itself out and disbanded to make room for a new focus on more ecumenical understanding rather than denominational.

  • In November 1946 he attended the regional Student Christian Movement meeting at Jackson’s Mill.
  • In April 1947 he served as a delegate to the Northeast Jurisdictional Spiritual Life Conference held at Auburn University.

West Virginia Annual Conference

1947 was a big year for Lawrence. Besides graduating from WVWC, he became a provisional member of the West Virginia Annual Conference.

Proceeding to Garrett Theological Seminary for further study, Lawrence earned his masters degree in 1949. That same year he received his Deacons Orders. The following year he was ordained Elder and became a full member of the conference, serving from 1950 until his retirement in 1996. The work that he did in that 46 year period of time is unmeasurable in terms of lives he touched.

Of course, retirement just gave him more time to pursue his love of Methodist History, both in West Virginia and denomination-wide.

History Hero

On June 10, 2011, at Annual Conference, Lawrence Sherwood was presented a Distinguished Historian Award for his historical research, writing, and teaching.

ARCHIVES AND HISTORY: Ginnie Lowther (clergy, Retired and Chair of
Archives and History) highlighted the upcoming celebration of the 225th anniversary of Old Rehoboth. She then introduced Lawrence Sherwood (clergy, retired) who has written a new book, “Francis Asbury Tours in West Virginia.” After reading a portion of Asbury’s diary, he presented a copy of the book to Bishop Grove and one for Bishop Lyght. Joe Kenaston (clergy, Lewisburg) shared insights about Bishop Francis Asbury. Rev. Kenaston will be portraying Bishop Asbury at the celebration at Old Rehoboth. Ginnie Lowther and Bill Wilson (clergy, Director of Connectional Ministries) presented Lawrence Sherwood with a plaque designating him as “Distinguished Historian,” citing his many years of dedication to the history of the conference.

Along with work in the West Virginia Annual Conference on the Methodist Historical Society, and later the Commission on Archives and History,  Lawrence was recognized beyond the borders of the conference for his historical work.

Left to Right: Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, Lawrence Sherwood, and Dr. Robert S. Conte, Historian. (Photo by Dewayne R. Lowther)

In 2014, he was honored by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History with a History Hero Award. His citation read:

A retired United Methodist pastor, Lawrence Franklin Sherwood Jr. serves on the West Virginia Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History. He was a charter member of the conference historical society and its first vice president, and he also has served as a vice president of the National Association of Methodist Historical Societies. For many years, Sherwood has been considered the “Historian in Residence” of the annual conference and in 2011 he was presented a Distinguished Historian Award for his historical research, writing, and teaching. His publications include “History of West Virginia Methodism” (1964) and The Tours of Bishop Francis Asbury in West Virginia, 1776-1815″ (2011).

In June of 2018, Lawrence Sherwood was one of two national recipients of the Ministry of Memory Award which was presented by the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church.

Tribute to Lawrence Sherwood

Lawrence Sherwood died on September 6, 2019 at the age of 93. He was at that time the longest-serving minister in the West Virginia Annual Conference.

Bishop William Boyd Grove wrote a beautiful tribute to him, which was shared on social media as well as read at his memorial service. It says exactly what I have been trying to say.

Today, while my body has been in Tennessee, my mind and spirit have been in Oakland Maryland with the family and friends of my dear friend and colleague.

Lawrence Sherwood
A tribute

He made Old Rehobeth new again.
He taught us who we have been,
Pioneers of the Spirit,
And who, by grace, we might be again.

He introduced us to those riders of the circuit
Who slept by campfires,
And read their bibles
By the light of the moon.

He quickened our spirts so we could ride with Asbury,
“Prophet of the long road;”
Crossing the mountains, fording rivers
Of what we would one day call
“Almost Heaven!”

When the angels came for him
He was senior member of his conference;
The longest link in the chain
Of what has been.

When he arrived at “the house not made with hands,”
Waiting by the door was Bishop Asbury!
Welcome home Lawrence.
I’ve been waiting a long time for you!”

William Boyd Grove

Friends and Family

There is something special about the people who knew you during the times when you were becoming the person you are. First it is the family that you were born into.

Fun fact: all of the people in this picture are graduates of WVWC, and there were others who came along later.

Later on, that circle widens to include those who were there when you were figuring out who you were, who you wanted to be, and what path you wanted to  follow for your life’s journey. Those who share that time of transition to adulthood with you hold a very special place in our hearts throughout our lives.

WVWC Sisters

This past week a group of WVWC friends met for lunch. We have seen each other sporadically through the years, and shared Christmas cards complete with pictures of the children who came along.  In recent years, we have taken to getting together for lunch every year or so. We have entertained various waiters and waitresses with our laughter and the telling of stories. (We always leave a nice tip in appreciation of their patience with us.)  LOL

We did the math this week, and were shocked to realize that we met 45 years ago when most of us were living in the same hallway in McCuskey Hall our freshman year at WVWC.  None of us were math majors, so we checked and double checked those numbers because we could not believe that the number could be correct. The years melted away immediately as they always do.

Jill Okes-Kinkade, Joyce Reneau Okes, Quinn, , Del Marie Lewis Brenn, Robin Barb Throckmorton, Kim Walls, Jane White, Paula McGrew.

We were also joined by Joyce’s daughter, Jill (who now works on the staff at WVWC) and by the next generation….Quinn Okes-Kinkade. Jill and my daughter also met during freshman year in their First Year Seminar class and have now been friends as well for nearly fifteen years! (More ridiculous math!)

Over the years we have celebrated marriages, births of children (and grandchildren), retirements, and various awards and honors.

We have supported each other through family deaths, battles with cancer, miscarriages, and other storms of life.

We have cheered on successes and provided a good place to vent frustrations.

There were many others who were not present at this lunch, but who are in touch often…even if only on Facebook. We keep up on the happenings in each other’s lives and support or celebrate there. Not quite as good as in person, but it keeps us connected between in-person gatherings.

Some of us found life partners during our college years, and have the added benefit of being able to tell college stories of shared experiences every day. This group is known as Wesleyan Sweethearts, and there have been more than 1,000 such couples.

Many people share this type of friendship. You can see it first-hand when you attend the homecoming activities in the fall. Alumni magazine articles tell of friends that travel together, have regular gatherings with other WVWC graduates in the areas where they live, or who show up in each other’s weddings.

I see these same types of friendships, for example, with my daughter’s group of Wesleyan friends.

Your role changes, but still you are part of these relationships. Sometimes:

  • you are the parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle
  • you are the child
  • you are the student
  • you are the teacher
  • you are the classmate
  • you are the co-worker
  • you are the freshman year roommate, or the person who lives down the hall

In the past few weeks, I have watched as students in my First Year Seminar class have begun to make these kinds of friendships as well. For now, with fellow students. Soon, with faculty and staff who will cheer their success (in and out of the classroom) and will challenge them to be their best, and who will support them along that journey. Who knows? Some may come back to be co-workers and fellow faculty members! It has happened before.

When people at WVWC talk about their Wesleyan Family or their Home Among the Hills, it is not just a figure of speech. It is a real thing!

Opening Day: September 3, 1890

Seminary Building 1890 Catalog Drawing
Drawing of Seminary Building in 1890 Catalog

September 3, 1890

The day was finally here. Opening day for the West Virginia Conference Seminary, which was the realization of the dreams and hard work of many.  Trustees had been working hard to make this a dream a reality: quality education for both boys and girls; non-sectarian. It was the dream of many Methodists from West Virginia, one which required many years of meetings, resolutions, fundraising and proposals. It was also the result of hard physical labor by those who dug the clay from campus grounds, made the bricks, and created the building itself.

One Building

The Seminary Building, the lone building, was described in the Prospectus:

The splendid new Seminary building is the best school or college building in the state; beautiful, substantial, convenient, and admirably adapted to school purposes. It is of brick, 106 x 80 feet, three stories in height, and stands upon an eminence overlooking the river and town.

According to Kenneth Plummer, in his book A History of West Virginia Wesleyan College, there was no money for furnishings and equipment. Gifts and loans from trustees and friends made it possible to aquire enough of these things for the school to open. For example, the money for chairs for the chapel and classrooms was advanced by The Rev. Dr. John W. Reger, a trustee of the school.

Six faculty members
From Thomas W. Haught’s West Virginia Wesleyan College, The First Forty Years 1890-1940, p.55

Like the building, the faculty was not yet quite complete. By the end of the first year, in June 1891, six more teachers had been added:

  • Professor D.M. McIver (Business Department)
  • Mrs. Alma G. McIver (Business Department)
  • Mr. W. H. Atha (Business Department)
  • Miss Ida V. Kent (Voice Culture and Piano)
  • Miss Maude McFarland (Drawing and Painting)
  • Mr. D.E. Phillips (Normal School Subjects and English)
70 students (first term)

The first 10-week term, there were 70 students enrolled.

Roy Reger graduate of WVU 1898
Photo from the West Virginia OnView, from WVU Libraries

The first one to sign the register was Roy Reger. He later writes about that experience and describes life on campus in a letter which you can read here.

Trustees

There were sixteen trustees, an equal number of ministers and laymen, at the time of the opening of the school in 1890.

Original Trustees Who Were Laymen
Ministers
Laymen
I think they would be pleased

If these people could see the West Virginia Wesleyan College of today, and meet the faculty and students who are here now, I think they would be very pleased and proud. That is why I am inspired to keep Curating the Stories of the Dreamers and the Giants on DreamersAndGiants.com.

Leaders of the Band

Ron Sleeth

Ronald Sleeth was the Drum Major for four seasons: 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1942.

Right after that, there is no record of a marching band in the Murmurmontis in 1943 and it was not published in 1944, 1945, or 1946 due to World War II. 

WVWC Drum Major, 1942                            with Drum Majorette, Gloria Harvey

While at WVWC, Ron Sleeth was active in many areas of campus, showing great leadership along the way. Among his accomplishments and activities Ron was President of his class in 1938, President of Playshop in 1942, sang in the choir, played intramural sports,  and worked on the Pharos staff.

After his graduation, he went on to receive his Divinity Degree from Yale University in 1947. He served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy from 1945-46, and came back to WVWC to teach Speech from 1946-48.  He became an ordained Methodist Elder in 1947 before returning to academia to earn his masters and Ph.D. in Communication from Northwestern University. In 1976-77, he came back to WVWC once again to serve as the president of the college. Realizing that administration was not his passion, he stepped down after one year to go back to teaching and writing.

A true leader. Read more about him here.

After the war, various others served in student leadership capacity for a year or two, and under such titles a student director, drum major, and drum majorette. Each one had a different story about how they came to be chosen, different leadership styles, and different skills.

Maraching Band Murmurmontis 1950

Jude Gore

Jude Gore was the Drum Major of the Bobcat Marching band for four seasons: 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. Right after that, the marching band ceased to exist for 34 years. There was an upswing (pun intended) in interest for the Jazz Band, and that truly was the passion of David Milburn, professor and director of bands. Concert band and pep bands continued, but marching band did not.

After his graduation, he went on to have a very successful career in Music Education, and kept right on leading students through music for decades to come.

In the fall of 1978, Ron Sleeth and Jude Gore teamed up to direct the band in the stands at a football game. A true meeting of the minds!

2014 — They’re Back!

In 2014, the Bobcat Marching Band returned. It had only 25 members, but they were mighty! Doubling by the second year, and with steady growth each year, they are now marching about 100 and share their vast amount of school spirit with all of us. Since their return, they have been led by Drum Majors Christen Shell (2014, 205, 2016) and Patrick Withers (2017, 2018). This year, Cassidy Hoffman has been tapped for this leadership position. 

Band Camp 2019 with Drum Major Cassidy Hoffman

Drum Major 101

Each drum major

  • must earn and deserve the respect of those they lead
  • leads the band onto the field and keeps them all going in the right direction
  • keeps the band literally and figuratively on the same page
  • plays a crucial role in communication between band and band director
  • has the opportunity to facilitate change
  • needs to know music and marching drills inside and out – for all members

They are supportive, enthusiastic, prepared and professional.

They set a good example.

These are great life skills!!!

Here’s to a great year for the Bobcat Marching Band in 2019. Their new uniforms have been delayed in production, but hopes are to debut them later this season. And those who wear them will be taking the field under the leadership of Drum Major Cassidy Hoffman.

Dr. Robert Palmer has joined the Bobcat Bands in July 2022!

For more background about the history of the marching band, check out my blog post entitled The Band is Coming!

Before, During, and After

One person’s BEFORE is another person’s AFTER.

New and Current Students

Last year’s entering students will have very different memories than what this year’s entering students will encounter. Take, for example, the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library.

Students coming to college for the first time last year came BEFORE library renovation and experienced the full spring semester DURING that process. When they arrived in the fall, the library was new to them, but operating as “normal.”  In the spring, the building was closed and they had to search out the Nellie Wilson Lounge to find the “library in exile.”

Students who are now Juniors and Seniors are about to have their moment of feeling like old-timers as they regale Freshmen and Sophomores with their stories of the library as it was BEFORE.

Students from the 1970s

Students from the early 1970s remember before, during, and after the wraparound addition which provided more space for more collections and office space for library staff and classrooms.

Emeritus Club

Emeritus Club members (those who have graduated from WVWC at least 50 years ago) remember before and during the building of the original Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library. Some remember the excitement of the dedication of that building in 1953.

This week the Emeritus Club gathered for the last of their summer luncheons and were treated to a tour of the renovated library. They were amazed. They were excited. They were proud. They were also a bit nostalgic as they told stories of times when talking and eating were not permitted in the library!

They ended their tour by standing at the foot of the stairs and singing the Alma Mater, some with misty eyes. They were remembering their time and experiences with love and gratitude while also sharing their excitement for current students. Almost a kind of blessing. It was a beautiful and emotional moment.

Perspective of Time

We see the world in terms of our own perspective of time.

This can give us appreciation for growth and excitement for the future.

Our shared experiences connect us even (and maybe especially) when things look different than they did before.

New opportunities. A new normal.

Fall 2019

Within the week, I will be meeting My First Year Seminar students for the first time. They will experience only the new. 

They will hear stories about the old from those who knew it (including those who just arrived last fall.)

They will probably consider the new door as being the main door. To many of us, it is a marvel to be able to enter from both sides of the building!

They will regularly get lunch, or make themselves a milkshake or Keurig coffee at the new self-service micro store while others will look back with nostalgia on the Cafe Libros. Some Emeritus tour members this week were horrified at food (or even chewing gum) in the library at all.

The library has always been at the heart of academic life – the laboratory where students explore and apply what they learn in the classrooms. Research is done and papers are written there. It has also been the place where people gather as a community of learners. Many have found it a convenient place to meet and talk and get acquainted. It is a center for building Community as well as individuals.

Yes, there are still books (print and electronic) and access to many information sources and reserve items. Yes, there are librarians to guide and teach and help students find what they need. Yes, the building is different and redesigned.

The library is ready to build more people.

We Are Who We Have Been Becoming

I spent this past weekend surrounded by people with shared stories.

These were people from many states and many ages.

Most of them I had never met before, but we had a lot of shared history.

No, it was not WVWC Homecoming!

It was the 38th Annual Gathering of the Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants.

I have often heard people say that this area is different from other places and that WVWC is different from other schools, but that they can’t quite put their finger on why that is. Why do West Virginians stay connected even when they have moved far away – sometimes being drawn back to find their roots more than three generations later?

It may have something to do with explorers, pioneers, and settlers.

The characteristics and values of the people who came and endured hardships while building a region and state are still to be found here today:

  • Independence
  • Courage
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Someone who is an initiator
  • Someone who is a groundbreaker
  • Someone who sees potential and possibilities all around them
  • Someone who pushes boundaries, advances a cause, or breaks records
  • Someone who is dedicated and does not give up easily

Same Stories and Different Focus

As I read about WVWC, I find things about the Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants, about the history of the region, about the state of West Virginia, and about my family roots. It is all connected, and overlaps in strong ways.

On any given day, I am finding that these four areas of interest overlap and come into focus in different ways depending on my project.

Family : those ancestors whose DNA is literally part of me, the stories of their lives, the connections they had to others, their interests, skills, and passions make me who I am today.

Region: the beauty of the area, the rich natural resources, the rugged terrain, the events that happened here, the people who made them happen. This area in North Central West Virginia which was hard to find and settle, that which is not near the border of another state, that which has so much to offer in what may seem to the uninitiated as being literally in the middle of nowhere. This also includes the religious and educational history of the area, and in my particular case the history of the Methodist Church. Circuit riders and preachers run in my family. As far back as seven generations, there have been church leaders lurking in the family tree.

State of WV: the same as region, but including all areas of West Virginia including those along the Ohio River, bordering Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky.  The exploration,  pioneer adventures, and settling of the only state to be born of the American Civil War. Even today, northern states consider WV to be a southern state while southern states consider WV to be northern.  During the early years, WV was the Western Frontier. Now it is neither east nor west. We are a unique place whose people still can be characterized as independent. In fact, quite a few of those early qualities seem pretty familiar today as I look around the city, state, Methodist Conference, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

WVWC: Founded in 1890, only 25 years after the state of West Virginia, WVWC was the culmination of a great deal of work by the Methodists in the area. In fact, without those people dreaming us into existence, we would not be here today. Our first trustees incuded both Union and Confederate soldiers and chaplains. Some were active in the act of secession. Some of them attended the first and second Wheeling Conventions in 1861 to determine the name of the state, the position on slavery, and to created the laws. The history of the state and the region can not be separated from the founding of WVWC.

Connections and overlapping stories. People who feature prominently in all of these categories. History is not about lists of names and dates — it is about the stories. And these are what set us apart.

Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants (HCPD)

John Hacker was the first permanent European settler in what is now Lewis County, WV.  Following the Pringle Brothers, who remained in present-day Upshur County with the Jacksons and the Sleeths, he moved a bit further to the west. HCPD founder Joy Gilchrist (now DeFazio) wrote a book about these explorers and pioneers called, They Started it All. An excerpt about this group can be found here.   Joy is one of the Founders of HCPD in 1982, and has been a tireless worker, cheerleader, storyteller, and tour guide.

The HCPD was formed in 1982, and moved locations several times until finding their permanent home in the old Hornor School in 1998. It is a busy place!  On any given day you will find people asking questions, poring over volumes, finding some great information about someone who up until that time was just a name on a page. It gives an opportunity to discover what life was like in former times. The perspective of time gives us an opportunity to see both the good and bad parts of society that make up our own histories. (Pretty sure that I would have a hard time surviving in the late 1700s!!)

Pioneering still, this group of descendants gathers annually to study and research, to tell stories, to share pictures, and to delight in the company of others who understand the value of knowing their history. This year there were more than 50 persons gathered. Many were from West Virginia towns large and small from all over the state. There were people from California, Montana, Georgia, Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. They gathered in the library in Hornor where there are more than 15,000 books, periodicals, obituaries, cataloged photographs, manuscripts, maps, drawings, yearbooks and memorabilia. And, they ate – this group knows how to cook! On Friday evening there was a slide show which included photographs of people no longer living, but who had been active in HCPD during their lifetimes. The stories multiplied!!

A National Endowment for the Humanities blog post, February 6, 2017, gives the background of this organization. The article is titled 50 States of Preservation: Hacker’s Creek Pioneer Descendants in Hornor, WV.

There is a lot of material! There is a lot of work to be done in processing even more collections. The beauty of it is that the 350 members from around the world are connecting and sharing and finding that their history matters a great deal. They also stay in contact  with those far away through their website and Facebook page.

History is Relevant.

History Relevance

Starting as a series of conversations in 2012 about why

“children are not expected to learn it in schools, community leaders rarely look to it to inform today’s decisions, and national leaders select and distort facts to support their positions. Sure, some people visit historic sites and history museums; and many more watch history-based movies. For them, engagement in history seems to be an occasional pleasant pastime, not something especially relevant to their lives”.

The History Relevance Website was born.

History is Relevant

To Ourselves.
  • Identity: History nurtures personal and collective identity in a diverse world. People discover their place in time through stories of their families, communities, and nation. These stories of freedom and equality, injustice and struggle, loss and achievement, and courage and triumph shape people’s personal values that guide them through life.
  • Critical Thinking: History teaches vital skills. Historical thinking requires critical approaches to evidence and argument and develops contextual understanding and historical perspective, encouraging meaningful engagement with concepts like continuity, change, and causation, and the ability to interpret and communicate complex ideas clearly and coherently.
To Our Communities
  • Vibrant Communities: History is the foundation for strong, vibrant communities. A place becomes a community when wrapped in human memory as told through family stories, tribal traditions, and civic commemorations as well as discussions about our roles and responsibilities to each other and the places we call home.
  •  Economic Development: History is a catalyst for economic growth. Communities with cultural heritage institutions and a strong sense of historical character attract talent, increase tourism revenues, enhance business development, and fortify local economies.
To Our Future
  • Engaged Citizens: History helps people envision a better future. Democracy thrives when individuals convene to express opinions, listen to others, and take action. Weaving history into discussions about contemporary issues clarifies differing perspectives and misperceptions, reveals complexities, grounds competing views in evidence, and introduces new ideas; all can lead to greater understanding and viable community solutions.
  • Inspires Leaders: History inspires leaders. History provides today’s leaders with role models as they navigate through the complexities of modern life. The stories of persons from the past can offer direction to contemporary leaders and help clarify their values and ideals.
  • Legacy:  History, saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations. Historical knowledge is crucial to protecting democracy. By preserving authentic and meaningful documents, artifacts, images, stories, and places, future generations have a foundation on which to build and know what it means to be a member of the civic community.

We Are Who We Have Been Becoming

To find the explorers, pioneers, settlers, and others who have come before us, we need to gather in groups like I experienced this weekend.

We need to read and listen and be inspired.

We need to know where we have been to know who we are. Why do people think that our state, region, campus have something special? Because we are who we have been becoming.

We need to know who we are to know where we are going.

We need to know it ourselves, and to teach it to future generations.

If you would like to read more about these people, you can start with these great books which have been written by those who realized the importance of history and some pioneer has placed on the internet for you.  If you would like to find more, there are some on the DreamersAndGiants.com website under Sources.

American Historical Society (1923). History of West Virginia Old and New, Volume 3 (West Virginia Biography) [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Chicago and New York.

Atkinson, G.W. & Gibbens, A.F. (1890). Prominent men of West Virginia: biographical sketches, the growth and advancement of the state,a compendium of returns of every election, a record of every state officer[electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Wheeling: W.L. Callin.

Atkinson, G.W. (1901). Public addresses, etc., of Geo. W. Atkinson, governor of West Virginia, during his term of office [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Charleston: The Public Printer.

Atkinson, G.W. (1919) Bench and bar of West Virginia [electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Print copy available in Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library: WV 340.092 At54b

Bruce, T. (1894) Heritage of the trans-Alleghany pioneers, or, resources of Central West Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Nichols, Killam and Maffitt.